This is the meal that inspired me to try a vegan £1 challenge. I saw the recipe in a magazine and thought it looked really tasty so we made it that weekend. The whole family agreed that it was delicious and we would be putting it on our regular menu.

When I looked at this dish I realised that if you where vegetarian or vegan you could eat this no problem, and a lot of the meals we’ve been eating recently are becoming more plant based. So instead of just doing another vegetarian meal plan I would challenge myself with a £1 vegan menu as people think it’s more expensive. I guess If you’re trying to eat as a meat eater but with expensive vegan alternatives, it would be. So you have to think differently and try totally new recipes not copies.

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Breakfast
Porridge with berries

Lunch
Leftover cauliflower bake or vegan cheese toasty

Dinner
Fried bean tacos with guacamole and pomegranate salad

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Fried bean tacos with guacamole and pomegranate salad
Adapted from BBC Good food Magazine

Method

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 x 400g cans blackeyed beans, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

For the guacamole

1 small garlic clove
2 tablespoon roughly chopped coriander
1 chilli, sliced
2 avocados, halved and stoned
Juice 1 lime

For the salsa

About 100g pomegranate seeds
1 chilli, finely diced
1 small white onion, finely diced
Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
A few leaves of lettuce sliced

To serve

8-12 homemade wraps (our chapati recipe) or tortillas
chipotle or other hot sauce
Sliced lettuce (optional)
Vegan yogurt

In a large frying pan, heat the oil and add the garlic. Fry until golden, then add the beans.

Pour in the cider vinegar, maple syrup and spices along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, to taste.

Cook until warmed through, crushing gently with the back of your wooden spoon, then set aside.

In a bowl crush the garlic, coriander and chilli into a rough paste. Scoop in the avocado with a little salt and crush roughly – you want it chunky, not smooth. Squeeze in the lime juice and set aside.

Mix the salsa ingredients in a small bowl.

Heat a griddle pan and quickly griddle the tortillas and stack them to keep warm in a low oven.

Reheat the bean mixture.

To serve, put 1-2 heaped tablespoons of beans on a tortilla. Top with a big spoonful of guacamole and some salsa, a little sliced lettuce, hot sauce and a dollop of vegan yogurt.

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We found the vegan £1 challenge quite difficult, manly because I had to make bread more often to make sure it was vegan and not made with butter. I’m sure you would get to know which breads you could eat if you were vegan full time. We ended up having to use my own bread flour as we ran out near the end. Also we ended up getting another carton of milk, as we all ate more porridge for the mornings. We were left with a few ingredients over, so I guess the £1 a day probably still counts.

After doing this challenge we’ve all agreed that a more plant based diet is the way to go, although I’m not sure I could give up meat and fish totally.